Wednesday, May 31, 2017

I was sorry to miss the FEI’s endurance forum at Vic in Spain. I went to the 2014 version in Lausanne, the first specialist endurance open forum staged after the extent of the cheating, doping and attrition in FEI Group 7 and the UAE in particular came to wider attention.

Not much seems to have changed, other than officialdom now being less uncomfortable about openly naming the problem countries. And it would be difficult now not to name the UAE when they were suspended (2015) and stripped of running a world championship (2016) because of horse welfare concerns. Even three years ago it was taboo to mention a Group 7 federation by name in an open FEI endurance debate.

Given that weeny increase in transparency, I was disappointed to be told in February that the 2017 renewal was limited to national federations. By the time the FEI changed its mind in April and invited general observers, I had arranged to do something else, which could not be rescheduled without inconveniencing other people and causing me irrecoverable expense.
I am thus indebted to attendees who kept me posted and provided context to the presentations now available on the FEI website, and for amplifying the topics excluded from the FEI’s media round-up.

Much was made at both the main FEI sports forum in Lausanne in April and at Vic about extensive veterinary studies into bone fatigue and metabolic failures, and how they might be mitigated by extending rest periods. Another proposal that has got as far as a draft rule is adding an extra seven days’ rest where speed has exceeded an average 20kph. But why not actively cap high speeds, as successfully already trialled at Boudhieb? All the evidence is that Group 7 horses continue to train hard during compulsory “rests,” and turn up at national rides – over which the FEI is always keen to tell us it has no jurisdiction or knowledge. A half-way house measure will merely encourage Group 7 to buy even more horses...

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Lexington, Ky. - Are you a young equestrian who exhibits exceptional leadership potential? Do you serve as a positive role model for your peers and demonstrate an ongoing commitment and dedication to the promotion of equestrian sport? How involved are you in the community, and do you feel you exemplify positive sportsmanship principles? If so, you may be an eligible nominee for the 2017 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Youth Sportsman's Award. Each year USEF-recognized national affiliate and international discipline associations search through submitted applications looking for a candidate who is a true sportsman or woman ready to represent their breed or discipline on a national level, and this year just might be your lucky year!

To apply, visit www.usef.org/youth and download the application or contact your USEF-recognized national affiliate and international discipline associations. Be sure to submit your application and all other required materials directly to your USEF-recognized national affiliate or international discipline association’s office on or before September 1, 2017. Affiliate contact information is included on the application form. Each USEF-recognized affiliate may select a national nominee after the September 1 deadline. Each affiliate nominee is considered for the overall Youth Sportsman’s Award, but only two (one winner and one reserve winner) are selected to receive grants.

The overall winner of the 2017 USEF Youth Sportsman's Award will receive a $1,000 grant payable to the educational program of their choice and a commemorative trophy. The winner will also be nominated for the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year Award. The reserve winner will receive a $500 grant payable to the educational program of choice.

Applicants must meet the following criteria for consideration of the 2017 USEF Youth Sportsman's Award:

Have a current membership in good standing with the USEF
Have a current membership in good standing with a USEF-recognized national affiliate and international discipline associations
Be 17 years of age or under, as of December 1, 2016
Demonstrate an ongoing commitment and dedication to the promotion of equestrian sport
Serve as a positive role model for peers
Participate at any level of competition, including local, regional, or national events
Be involved with their community
Exhibit characteristics that exemplify positive sportsmanship principles™

Monday, May 29, 2017

Introducing analytics into FEI endurance events will be about “changing psychology and attitude”, according to EquiRatings co-founder Sam Watson.

The FEI announced it had signed a four-year agreement with Irish data science company EquiRatings in April, with the aim of “working together on risk management initiatives” in both endurance and eventing.

At an FEI endurance forum this week, EquiRatings’ Diarmuid Byrne and Sam presented a potential model for an athlete index — which would identify those at higher risk of non-completions.

A similar EquiRatings Quality Index was found to be effective in Irish eventing last year and the pilot has been extended for 2017. The safety analysis tool uses algorithms to calculate the potential for falls, giving officials and riders the ability to monitor risk.

“We need to create awareness and provide a tool that can guide the level of responsible horsemanship and help maintain a standard for the sport around the world,” he said...

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Even small reductions in speed have large beneficial effects on bone fatigue for the fastest horses, delegate to this week’s FEI Endurance Forum were told.

A total of 100 delegates from more than 30 countries gathered in Spain to discuss the way ahead for the growing sport.

Horse welfare, education and the future direction of the sport were primary topics, with delegates weighing the challenges of keeping endurance horses healthy and free from injury in a discipline in which speeds are likely to increase through the likes of better training, breeding, feeding and riding.

The University of Glasgow’s Dr Euan Bennet took delegates through the highlights and main results of the first year and a half of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study, and Professor Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne presented data on bone fatigue...

The FEI has declined to review a controversial endurance fatality in Bahrain, despite new evidence suggesting both the dead horse and the ride were wrongly identified.

A grey French-bred mare, Samba d L’Ile, was belatedly named by the FEI after liaison with the Bahrain equestrian federation.

But now ride start lists have emerged, which appear to show that Samba was not a participant on March 4th. This raises new questions about the scope of the FEI investigation, especially in the light of its emphasis on the monitoring of Catastrophic Injuries (CIs): attrition was a major topic at the FEI Endurance Forum in Spain earlier this week.

The Bahrain saga dates back to distressing videos of a grey horse at the moment it broke its foreleg. They were posted on April 3rd by an outspoken blogger known only as “Fair Endurance,” who has been active for the past year, and has clear UAE sympathies. The clips also showed the horse – whose rider was unseated – valiantly trying to follow the rest, stumbling along on three legs while other riders did nothing to help.

The blogger did not identify the horse, but claimed the fatality occurred during the King’s Cup 120km CEI on March 4th and was not recorded in FEI results – an alleged breach of FEI rules. “Fair Endurance” also alleged that other CIs in Bahrain have gone unrecorded. The videos went viral, leading to strong criticism on social media of the FEI and of one of its most senior judges, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hammad of Saudi Arabia. Dr Al Hammad was FEI Foreign Veterinary Delegate in Bahrain, where his responsibilities included immediate reporting of any fatalities to FEI HQ...

Friday, May 26, 2017

Welfare, education and the future direction of the sport were prominent topics at the FEI Endurance Forum 2017, which took place this week in Vic, Barcelona (ESP). A total of 100 delegates from over 30 countries gathered together at a pivotal time for the discipline of Endurance, which is seeing massive growth year on year across the globe.

Scientific presentations on Endurance risk factors, bone fatigue and risk management set the scene, providing a data-based approach for the Forum’s further discussions on education, rules revisions and the future of the sport. Key topics including horse welfare, speed, athlete education and how the elite level of the sport could look in the future were debated in an open and honest dialogue by representatives from across the Endurance community.

“This growth of the sport is remarkable and brings great opportunities but also presents challenges to the global endurance community”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said in her opening address. “Endurance is clearly appealing and has potential, but as we grow we need to secure the integrity of the sport with correct processes, and maintain the highest standards of horse welfare. We are all here because we want to ensure that Endurance continues to develop and thrive around the world. And we are also here because we want to ensure the very best for our horses, for our athletes and for the greater Endurance community.”

First presented at last month’s FEI Sports Forum 2017, Dr Euan Bennet from the University of Glasgow took delegates through the highlights and main results of the first year and a half of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study, and Professor Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne presented data on bone fatigue. Both reiterated the message that speed and non-compliance with mandatory rest periods are the key risk factors, highlighting that an increase of seven days on the mandatory rest periods established in 2014 could potentially prevent 10% of the failed-to-qualify statistics and that small reductions in speed have large beneficial effects on bone fatigue for the fastest horses. It was unanimously agreed that key to injury reduction is a combination of rules revisions and education for athletes, trainers and all involved in the sport.

Diarmuid Byrne and Sam Watson from equestrian data science company EquiRatings, presented a potential model for an athlete index in Endurance, aimed at identifying those at higher risk of non-completion and following a similar concept to the ERQI model in Eventing. This was received with interest and generated discussions on data collection in the future to enhance this tool, possible applications to reward positive performance and good horsemanship, and potential application to trainers, and horse/athlete combinations.

EquiRatings founder Sam Watson explained: “It is about changing psychology and attitude. We need to create awareness and provide a tool that can guide the level of responsible horsemanship and help maintain a standard for the sport around the world.”

The new Endurance Education System for Endurance Officials was presented and received widespread support, with unanimous agreement on the benefit and importance of rewarding excellence and increasing experience. The introduction of job descriptions, promotional courses for top level Officials, horsemanship education for all Endurance Officials, requalification every three years and the introduction of a new 5* level of Officials were all on the agenda.

Wrapping up the first day’s proceedings, FEI Endurance Director Manuel Bandeira de Mello led delegates in discussion around potential rule revisions aimed at improving horse welfare and based on the scientific findings relating to areas such as qualifications, speeds, rest periods and weight regulations.

There was widespread support for the creation of a new 5* level of elite competition, with further consultation needed on what form it will take, and a general consensus that there should be clear and increased qualification criteria for entry to 1* level and for progression onto 4* and 5*, however further work is needed to flesh out proposals for the introduction of completion rates for Championship qualifications.

Discussions also covered the need for any potential changes to mandatory rest periods to be clearly based on welfare and not as sanctions for speed. The extensive feedback will be discussed by the FEI Endurance Committee as the next step in this rules revision process.

Inspiration for the second day’s discussions on the future of the sport covered everything from event promotion, sponsorship, innovation in promotion, and what the sport could look like in the future, with presentations from across the spectrum of the sport: athlete Valerie Kanavy, Organiser Nick Brooks-Ward from Hpower Group, athlete and trainer Stephane Chazel and Spanish Chef D’Equipe Ignasi Casas.

Athlete education was again central to the debate as discussion turned to how speed relates to the future of the sport. Delegates noted that ultimately this is a sport against the clock, but this cannot be to the detriment of the horse, however as the sport progresses then speeds will get higher with better training, breeding, feeding, riding etc. However all acknowledged that speed contributes to injury, which is not acceptable for horse welfare and has a negative effect on the perception of the sport. Minimum weights and course design were discussed as examples of how to regulate speed but ultimately conversation came back to athlete responsibility and training, a key theme throughout the Forum.

FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez closed the forum with a commitment to continue organising these types of discussion forums for Endurance on a regular basis, commending the “productive and exciting meeting of such a wide group of people, with very diverse views yet working together and allowing each other to speak, with a real community feel for open dialogue.”

Today’s session at the FEI Endurance Forum was all about modernising the sport. There were lots of interesting stats about the increasing popularity of endurance on a worldwide basis including:

• 95% increase in the number of international endurance events since 2007
• 58% increase in the number of registered endurance riders
• 37% increase in the number of registered endurance horses

Our own Brian Sheehan led the first presentation taking us through the mission statement, values and some of the changes being experienced by endurance. A WEG Review highlighted a number of concerns about endurance and the fact that it is only available for 1 day on the WEG schedule of events means a considerably smaller spectator attendance (6,000 compared to 110,000 spectators for Jumping which runs for 6 days). It is making it unviable to include endurance on the WEG schedule as other sports are subsiding us.

Brian presented his expectations for the future of the sport which included:

• Highest standard of horse welfare of all the FEI and non-FEI disciplines
• Officials practice the highest standard of integration
• New and successful competition format for individuals and teams with high completion rates and entertaining to watch
• Self-funded discipline ensuring financial stability
• Education for officials, athletes and trainers

Valerie Kanavy then provided an inspiration presentation when she answer the question of “where do I want the sport to go in the next 20 years”. Her aspirations included:

• Wanting to be part of a sport she can be proud of
• A sport that challenges her abilities
• A sport where athletes and horses can be admired and respected by others
• Where horse welfare is the most important thing in our sport

The next speaker was Nick Brooks Ward who is the Operations Director of the Horse Power Group and is involved in the Windsor Royal Show and the Euston Park endurance events among many other things. He provided some thought provoking questions for us and highlighted how we keep endurance hidden away.

He has lots of experience in promoting sports (the Tour de France is one of them) and suggested:

• Endurance is conceived as a closed sport
• Videos that his company have put up onto the web are pulling good numbers in terms of views and this is a much under-utilised opportunity
• There is a lack of understanding about what endurance is in the larger equestrian community that we could easily address
• There are lots of positive messages that we could be producing to highlight our sport
• A lot of education is required to bring people up to speed on what we do and how we do it

Stephane Chazel is a member of the FEI’s Technical Committee for Endurance. He talked about the philosophy of the sport and how it has changed from being a complete to win scenario into flat racing. He thought that we had the opportunity to decide where our sport was heading and presented three options:

• More professional and elitist – a little like cycling where a team approach is adopted
• Extreme sport with the supreme test of horsemanship
• Long distance racing

His feeling was that the sport should be splintering and a new rule set should be created for each splinter.

The last presentation was given by Ignasi Casas who is the Chef d’Equipe of the Spanish Team. He gave us a bit of a trip down memory lane and showed how they used to do things in the ‘good old days’ including a vet gate in a bull fighting arena, luckily without the bull. He tracked the changes of the sport from a totally amateur sport to what it is today – professional teams, big sponsorship and monetary/high value prizes.

Ignasi also talked about changes in qualifications and team competitions for championships and how they have continued to evolve over the past 30 years.

The opportunity for everyone to then join in an open discussion on the issues facing the sport and where the sport could go. Many interesting comments were provided and some of the elephants in the corner were allowed to run around a bit. While there was no consensus on a single approach the FEI has been given lots of information and ideas to mull over.

The Cambodian Equestrian Federation’s relentless drive to build an endurance team of six riders and horses meeting SEA Games participation standards met with a measure of success last week when Ly Sovanchandara became the first rider to qualify in an international level competition at a pregames event in Malaysia.

Also making the grade, but at the national competition level, was Phay Visal, while Moeng Sochea, who has already qualified, could not complete his run as his leased horse returned with an injury after the first lap.

Competing in the International Federation for Equestrian Sports-approved 80km event at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Kuala Lumpur, Sovanachandara, riding Ohara Armor, was ranked 12th in the pregames trial and qualified with an average speed of 14.038. He led the first lap at a speed of 19.327 but slowed down on the next two to conserve his leased horse...

Suffolk: UAE riders made a clean sweep of the four classes at the first Euston Park Endurance Rides, sponsored by Emirates Airline, which took place in stunning weather conditions in Suffolk, England.
Contests were held in four categories — CEI3* 160km, CEI2* 120km, CEIYJ2* 120km and CEI1* 80Km — on the Euston Park Estate and surrounding land.

All the winning horses represented the MRM Stables and were trained by Esmail Mohammad Al Jeziri.
“We started our European season last week at Royal Windsor Endurance but this was our first three star ride and it’s just amazing,” said Al Jeziri. “The horses finished in great condition and it looks very positive for the season ahead...”

Monday, May 22, 2017

Well the decision was made; Fantom was going to Windsor and Dilmun would be prepared for the popular inter-regional enduarance championships in July, this year to be held at Cirencester Park.

All the last-minute preparations were made for Windsor. We had a final training session of approximately 20km around a cross-country course averaging 20kph, a relaxing massage (for Fantom, not me!), and a new set of shoes complete with pads in the front to guard against any random stones with our name on it!

I have to admit that I was looking forward to this event with, shall we say, nervous anticipation. I had a plan! Now in endurance there is a saying that plans are bad as they tempt fate with the endurance gods, but in this case it was vital. Fantom was definitely fit enough and carefully prepared for this particular race, but our long term plan this year is to maximise our chances of being selected for the European Championships and to this end, we needed a solid result without taking any undue risks...

Friday, May 19, 2017

Equine expert Maggie Pattinson will be holding a special clinic at Lingfield Park Racecourse to put riders of all abilities through their paces.

The Chef D’Equipe of the England Home International Endurance Squad will pass on some of her lifetime skills and passion to enable riders to achieve their personal performance goals.

Run by Lingfield Equine Vets – the official vet partner of Lingfield Park Racecourse at each of its race fixtures – the clinic, on Wednesday, May 31, will aim to develop rider skills and optimise equine fitness.

Maggie, who has a lifetime of experience across equestrian disciplines from dressage to racing, will be working alongside experts in equine nutrition on the day. As well as her endurance work with the England team, she is also official coach and trainer for the Mongol Derby entrants, a race across 1000km of Mongolian Steppe which draws riders from across the world...

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Leadership, marketing, promotion, administration and growth were identified at a forum as key areas requiring attention when a new board is elected to run the equestrian discipline of Endurance in New Zealand.

A forum last week, attended by 31 people, examined the strengths and weaknesses of the discipline after a series of resignations from the Endurance Board which left it unable to form a quorum...

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Good Horsemanship Award was trialled in the CEI 2* ride at Royal Windsor Endurance last weekend. This was the first time the award had been trialled at a large FEI competition with full electronic timing.

The award is designed to complement the existing competition structure and reward good horsemanship over the course of the competition. At each vetgate and at the finish, presentation times were scored as 20 points minus the presentation time. A 20 point bonus was given for each Cardiac Recovery Index (CRI) result where the second pulse was lower than the first. Scores were also awarded for the other veterinary criteria (gut sounds, gait and dehydration) up to a maximum of 15 points at each vetgate and at the final vetting.

The trials to date have been particularly useful in working out an effective way for the data to be collected and analysed. A further trial will take place at the first Euston Park after which the final proposal will be put before the Board of Endurance GB. This award is just one element of the 'British Protocol' which will be announced in due course.

Part of the fun of survivalist genre books and film is imagining yourself in the characters’ shoes. When life takes a turn toward do-or-die and it’s just you versus the world, how would you fare?

What if?

Personally, I’ve always figured that I’d be the first to go: the Hunger Games tribute who gets wiped out in the opening scene, the first sucker to get eaten by zombies in the Walking Dead, the settler who dies of dysentery in Oregon Trail as soon as you press play. I have the basic survival skills of a 10-year-old Girl Scouts dropout, and yet here I find myself, a soon-to-be-competitor in a horse race wherein just making it out alive and more-or-less intact is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Taking place Aug. 6-19 on the Mongolian steppe, the Mongol Derby is inspired by Genghis Khan’s original “pony express” — there’s no trail or set route, just 25 GPS checkpoints/horse exchange stations spanning some 620-miles. The horses are semi-feral, riders are in the saddle 13 hours a day for 7-10 days straight, and nights are spent with nomadic herding families in yurts.

This is no holiday trail ride. Maybe half who start the race make it to the finish line each year. Last year a couple folks got airlifted to Hong Kong with serious injuries, and one co-winner doesn’t even remember a couple days of the race because she was concussed from being trampled. A couple years before that eight riders were held up by motorcycle bandits. Even the luckiest folks come home with accounts of being bucked off, chapped by the elements, plagued by hypothermia or food poisoning, and chased by dogs.

I’ve followed the Derby in previous years with a mix of horror and awe. Why would anyone in their right mind want to put themselves through that sort of thing? And yet another part of me craved the experience for myself. How would I fare out there?

What if?

One day, on a lark, I filled out an application for the 2017 race. It was a slow news day, I guess, and one does what one must to keep entertained. My own life at that moment, staring at a computer screen in suburban America, felt boring; racing ponies in the wilderness on a mission to stop deforestation, on the other hand — INFINITELY sexier and more noble...

Monday, May 15, 2017

Royal Windsor Horse Show, The Great Park, Windsor, Berkshire, Great Briton. Friday 12 May 2017.

There were three endurance races at the Royal Windsor Endurance which was supported by the Kingdom of Bahrain. Although it was the fifth edition of the Royal Windsor Endurance event, it was the first to include both a CEI1* 80km and a CEN 40km ride, alongside the regular CEI2* 120km.

Entries doubled compared from last year with 101 combinations, from 12 nations, over the three races.
This event is one of the highlights of the season in Great Britain because of the scenery taking the riders through Windsor Great Park, taking in Ascot Racecourse and several famous landmarks.

Endurance World Royal Windsor. Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan present.Great Britain was extremely well represented at the event, with a total of 64 starters including 17 out of 21 riders in the CEI1* 80km...

Endurance event at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex – This Sunday over 150 endurance riders from as far afield as Osaka in Japan and Mt Martha in Victoria saddled up in Imbil to take on the diverse forestry terrain around the Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex over 40km, 80km and 120km distances.

The Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) event attracted around 400 visitors to the region thanks to families and support crew members joining the riders, adding over 40 per cent to Imbil’s population for the weekend.*

Event host and owner of Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, Matthew Sample said he was delighted with how the event ? which was oversubscribed ? had gone and congratulated the winners on their exceptional results.

“It was wonderful to have the current Queensland State Champion and Imbil local Kaylea Maher take the win in the lightweight category and Boreen Point resident and 2016 Pat Slater Cup winner Kelsey Irvine take home the middleweight title,” said Mr Sample...

Sunday, May 14, 2017

London, May 12 (BNA): His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, Captain of the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team, has praised the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team members during the fifth Royal Windsor Endurance Race.

HH Shaikh Nasser underlined that HM the King's backing has contributed to the development of the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team members who are participating in such events that gather top jockeys from all over the world in one place.

HH Shaikh Nasser noted that HM the King's presence and keenness to watch the race were a source of motivation for all the participants in the race to give their best to compete for the title of the event. HH Affirmed that the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team had met all the preset goals of competing in this event.

"We wanted to prepare our team members for upcoming champions by allowing them to take part in an event featuring top jockeys from across the globe," HH Shaikh Nasser said, adding that "the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team has been keen to participate in this race with a large number of jockeys to gain more experience," HH Shaikh Nasser further added.

On the other hand, HH Shaikh Nasser revealed that his participation in the race stemmed from his keenness to support the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team members, stating that he wasn't looking at the competition side of this prestigious event. "I withdrew from the race after the fifth stage as my horse was suffering from fatigue." HH Shaikh Nasser explained.

Moreover, HH Shaikh Nasser congratulated the participants of the United Arab Emirates on their achievement of dominating the podium three places.

It's worth noting that UAE's Saeed Al Khairi won first place (04:47:48 seconds), followed by compatriots Saeed Al Muhairi (04:47:49 seconds) and Abdullah Al Muri (04:47:50 seconds) in second and third place respectively. The event consisted of a 120km-course...

This Sunday over 150 endurance riders from as far afield as Osaka in Japan and Mt Martha in Victoria will saddle up in Imbil and take on the diverse forestry terrain around the Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex over 40km, 80km and 120km distances.

The Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) event is expected to attract up to 450 visitors to the region thanks to families and support crew members joining the riders, adding about 50 percent to Imbil’s population for the weekend.*

Event host and owner of Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, Matthew Sample said the event had been oversubscribed with nominations closing ahead of schedule thanks to the large number of registrations.

“We are delighted with the response and are looking forward to welcoming riders for a fantastic weekend. The tracks are in excellent condition and the surrounding landscape is looking lush and beautiful,” said Mr Sample.

“I feel like endurance riding is certainly seeing somewhat of a revival as riders who take on the incredible challenge of long distances on horseback realise what a wonderful bonding experience it is with their horses. Once you’ve felt the exhilaration of completing 80km, 120km or even 160km of diverse terrain with your horse ― who really is like your best friend ― it becomes addictive!”

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Come and experience the Karoo hands on with the ultimate horse riding weekend.

The tour consists of 72 kilometers done over 3 days time. You will encounter wonderful views of the sensational Karoo with the company of small game whilst having an exhilarating experience heading up and down mountain paths. Come explore the Karoo and let us show you true “platteland” hospitality.

WHAT WILL I NEED?
Helmet
Riding gloves
Body protecter (optional)
Tack (optional as it will also be provided)
Sunscreen
Early breakfast goodies
Riding shoes (tekkies or other)
Riding Jodhpurs
Water bottle
Toiletries

OTHER NEED TO KNOWS
Minimum age of 14.
Must have 1-2 years riding experience.
Beginners tours can be arranged on request.

BOOKINGS

Riding Package – R3000 per rider (R1000 per day)
Non Rider – R500 Shared accommodation with a rider. Add R500 if own room is required.
50% deposit must be payed on day of booking.
Full payment must be payed 15 days prior to arrival.
Indemnity forms to signed upon arrival.
Proof of payment to be sent within 2 days of booking to lormarextremetours@gmail.com

Cambodian riders Ly Sovanchandara and Moeng Sochea will compete in an 80km endurance event on Malaysian-leased horses in a pre-SEA Games competition, while Phay Visal will take part in a national meeting at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.

Both Sovanchandara and Sochea achieved the qualification mark for taking part in an event of this standard by first qualifying in the 2x40km and 2x80km at national level in endurance meets.

Meanwhile, Sim Narith will join the show jumping competition at the Thai Polo Club in Bangkok next week for the TEF President’s Cup, while two national female riders, Alicia Khim and Savit Sat, will head to France for the Mondial.

Another Cambodian rider, Lon Sopheaktra, will compete in the 80km trial at the TEF Endurance Meet at the Thai Polo Club on May 27 and 28 in an effort to attain the second event he needs to complete qualification for the SEA Games.

This Sunday over 150 endurance riders from as far afield as Osaka in Japan and Mt Martha in Victoria will saddle up in Imbil and take on the diverse forestry terrain around the Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex over 40km, 80km and 120km distances.

The Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) event is expected to attract up to 450 visitors to the region thanks to families and support crew members joining the riders, adding about 50 per cent to Imbil’s population for the weekend.*

Event host and owner of Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, Matthew Sample said the event had been oversubscribed with nominations closing ahead of schedule thanks to the large number of registrations.

“We are delighted with the response and are looking forward to welcoming riders for a fantastic weekend. The tracks are in excellent condition and the surrounding landscape is looking lush and beautiful,” said Mr Sample.

“I feel like endurance riding is certainly seeing somewhat of a revival as riders who take on the incredible challenge of long distances on horseback realise what a wonderful bonding experience it is with their horses. Once you’ve felt the exhilaration of completing 80km, 120km or even 160km of diverse terrain with your horse ― who really is like your best friend ― it becomes addictive!”

Those completing the challenging 120km ride will set off at 2am on Sunday morning with the first leg being completed entirely in the dark. Riders return to the complex for vetting every 30-40 kilometres so vets can check on the horses’ wellbeing before setting off on further legs. Those entering the 80-kilometre ride have the option of ‘elevating’ to the 120-kilometre distance if both horse and rider feel up to it.

“Elevator rides are a great opportunity for riders wanting to complete the longer distance rides to evaluate how they are travelling at the 80 kilometre mark before having to commit to the 120 kilometres. For many riders this will be the first time they take on the longer distance and the excitement for both horse and rider really adds to the energy of the event,” said Mr Sample.

“Endurance riders have the utmost respect and admiration for their horses as the sport requires the horse to have exceptional athleticism, intuition, intelligence and a very competitive nature.”
“We have some tough contenders in all the rides and we’re looking forward to a very competitive day of riding on Sunday.”

The event is open to the public. To find out more please visit the website of the Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club, which is hosting the event ― www.stirlingscrossingendurance.asn.au.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The FEI Tribunal has lifted the provisional suspensions of 11 athletes – two Jumping, two Dressage and seven Endurance – and three Endurance trainers.

Under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs) athletes have the opportunity to request a lifting of the provisional suspension in front of the FEI Tribunal.

Two international Jumping athletes, Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (Sirene de la Motte, FEI ID 103RA62) and Great Britain’s Henry Turrell (Blaze of Glory II, FEI ID 103LD21), whose horses tested positive for the banned substance Sparteine after competing at separate events in Vilamoura (POR) last month, have both had their provisional suspensions lifted as of midnight CEST on 27 April. Sparteine, an antiarrhythmic used to treat cardiac arrhythmia, is found in the lupin flower, which grows in many parts of Portugal.

The FEI Tribunal’s decision to lift the provisional suspensions was mainly based on scientific evidence presented by the two athletes which suggests the likelihood of food contamination. Additionally, the FEI List Group, which reviews the FEI Equine Prohibited Substance List annually, has recommended to the FEI Bureau that Sparteine should be reclassified as a Controlled Medication and Specified Substance from 1 January 2018.

Samples taken from seven horses that competed at four different events in Al Wathba (UAE) between the end of November 2016 and mid-January of this year tested positive for Caffeine and a number of metabolites, including the substance Paraxanthine.

Caffeine is already listed as a *Specified Substance and the FEI List Group has recommended that Paraxanthine should be reclassified as a Controlled Medication and Specified Substance from 1 January 2018.

Separately, two US Dressage athletes – Adrienne Lyle (Horizon, FEI ID 105FJ02) and Kaitlin Blythe (Don Principe, FEI ID USA41197) – had been provisionally suspended since 5 April, the date they were notified that their horses had tested positive to the banned substance Ractopamine in Dressage competitions in Wellington (USA) in February 2017.

Their provisional suspensions were lifted at midnight on 28 April following evidence provided by the two athletes that a feed supplement given to the horses had been contaminated.

The FEI Tribunal maintained the provisional suspensions of the two horses on horse welfare grounds and in order to ensure a level playing field, however both athletes applied to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne (SUI) for provisional measures to request the lifting of the suspensions of both horses so that they could compete at the US Dressage Festival of Champions (18-21 May). The CAS granted the provisional measures this week (8 May), but still have to rule on the merits of the case.

WE ARE GOING TO WINDSOR! Yes, we made it through the ballot and have an entry in the one-star. I love Royal Windsor, having done the two-star competition twice now. It is a magical ride around Windsor Great Park and trotting up in front of the Queen is great but somewhat nerve-wracking!

Both my previous experiences of Royal Windsor have been with Dilmun, the first being so frustrating when we made an error of course, which we corrected, but were only awarded a completion which meant missing out on the awards’ ceremony and presentation of the prizes by the Queen.

The second occasion, two years’ ago, was somewhat different. After a good start and steadier second loop we were out on the third loop near the vetgate when we were attacked. Yes, attacked! A rather large Canadian goose masquerading as Concorde, flew at us from a distance of about 50 metres and attempted to swerve at the last minute (I think it lost its nerve when it saw Dilmun’s ferocious face), glanced off my head and Dilmun’s shoulder and fell to the ground. It soon rallied. Dilmun and I zoomed into the vetgate but unfortunately Dil’s pulse was one beat too high so we were out — I BLAME THAT GOOSE!...

Monday, May 08, 2017

Three days of races in Uzès, in the South of France, with on Friday a race day for young horses, Saturday was the biggest event with a 120km race and on Sunday 20km to 80km races.

Let’s focus on the 120km race, with two different departures: one for the CEI2* and amateur riders and fifteen minutes later for young and junior riders. In total 85 participants started on Saturday morning, including 16 combinations in CEIYJ2*.

After the first loop, it was Pascale Piazzalunga, with Tooyou de Gargassan, who took the lead of the race, doing the first loop of 30kms at a speed of 19,1 km/h. A group of 13 riders was less than two minutes behind her and until the third loop the leading group was composed of a lot of riders.

The young riders went less fast than the seniors and it was Lilou Tomas Arnaud riding Samirha du Mas who took the lead at a speed of 17,89km/h. Two minutes later came Carla Tomas with Ainhoa Fertit, Geoffrey Boulay associated to Qatar de Messey and Flore Alonso with Darko...

Sunday, May 07, 2017

The governing body of horse sport in New Zealand appears confident that Endurance in the country will not be at a standstill for the next few months, following ructions at board level.

Resignations have left the New Zealand Endurance Board unable to muster a quorum. There are no plans to hold by-elections before the next endurance board is elected at the discipline’s annual general meeting in July.

Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) released a statement on Friday in which it addressed the “complicated circumstances” around the discipline.

It said the ESNZ Board had sought expert advice to guide the management of the sport in the next few months, given that the discipline no longer had what it called a functional board.

The ESNZ Board had agreed to revoke the delegation of the Endurance Board until a new panel was elected. This, it said, was fully supported by the remaining members of the Endurance Board.

“ESNZ does not intend to take over the running of Endurance,” it said. “It has been agreed with the Endurance Board that it would continue with the day-to-day running of the sport in conjunction with ESNZ when formal decisions were required to be made.”

The move is the latest development following several months of controversy within the upper levels of the discipline in New Zealand, and a series of events at board level that appeared to have their roots in a “swell of unrest” within the discipline...

Saturday, May 06, 2017

This camp is open to all junior/youth riders who have completed at least 1x40km ride. They will participate in a range of workshops focusing on:

Riding Skills
Strapping
Vetting procedures
Pre and post ride care
Rider fitness/nutrition
Competition strategies
Team building
Goal setting
There will be dinner, fun and games on Friday night for those wishing to camp over.

Lessons will start at 9.00am on Saturday.

If you are interested please contact Chris Enstrom (enstromendurance@gmail.com) or EmmaTylee (missemmaleeanne@gmail.com) with the following information by May 12th.

This past weekend, the eighth edition of Raid de Tordera Meydan SportHG was held in the town of Tordera, near Barcelona, Spain. This edition saw the presence of the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whose name was used to name the races of the weekend.

In addition, the main race of the Raid, the CEI3* 160km, served as the 2017 Spanish Championship. In total, more than 130 participants came from 14 different countries.

Thus, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup Festival gathered in Tordera the best riders in Spain and a good amount of foreign riders. Among the favourites, there was the UAE’s M7 Team, owned by Sheikh Mohammed as well as the Catalans from Juma’s Team, led by the world champions Jaume Puntí and Maria Alvarez. The members of Juma’s Team are very used to win in other editions of the Raid de Tordera.

On Friday, Tordera held the shorter races: CEI*83km and CEI**120km, and also the CEIYJ2*120km race...

Friday, May 05, 2017

Strategies on how to modernise and promote endurance will be discussed this month at an FEI forum dedicated to the discipline.

“There has been a lot of concern on the state of endurance recently,” FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez says. “In order to instil and drive change, we need to work together and be united in our goals for the sport and the future of the sport...”

A non-rider who learned to jump a 1m course in just 20 lessons has set himself a new challenge for 2017 — to compete in the 40km endurance class at Royal Windsor.

Novice horseman Peter Wilkes, who is managing director of equestrian manufacturer Vale Brothers, took up the reins last year after being inspired by a talk on participation at the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) conference.

After the talk, he approached riding instructor Kay Scott-Jarvis to ask how long it would take to learn to jump a 70cm track.

“I asked her how long it would take at one lesson a week and she wouldn’t give me an answer,” said Peter, who was 53 at the time. “She said the worst case scenario would be 18 months. I said ‘I’ll give you ten weeks.’”

After successfully negotiating the first challenge, Peter was keen to up the stakes and after a further ten sessions tackled a 1m course.

“I fell off at the fifth fence so in some respects I don’t feel I completed it, as I need to do a clear round,” he said. “I made the statement beforehand ‘how hard can it be?’ I meant how hard can the ground be when I hit it!”

Not perturbed by his tumble, Peter summoned a new ambition for this year, and decided to confront the international endurance at the Royal Windsor Horse Show (May 12)...

Endurance World Punta del Este. Rider leaving for the next loop.On Saturday, 160km CEI3* and 80km CEI * in Senior and Young Riders categories were ran. Winner of the 160km Senior was Pilar Saravia (15) ; “It was a nice race, the first time I ran Che Niebla over that distance. We all had a lot of confidence in the horse. She always knows what she has to do and what is coming which helped me a lot to get a little off my nerves. It was a quiet race, until the penultimate stage we ran together with Alvaro Garcia, both horses were comfortable and between us we helped each other. Nevertheless, the last loop I left alone and tried to raise a little the average speed...”

He followed the performance of the UAE riders at Spain’s most important endurance event, where they joined an elite group of European riders to prepare for the FEI World Endurance Championship for Young Riders and Juniors 2017, which will be held in Verona, Italy, in late September, according to state news agency WAM.

Four races were held during the two-day Tordera competition with Paula Muntala Sanchez of Spain winning the title finishing the four-stage 160-km race in 7:38.24...

Wednesday, May 03, 2017

The focus of the forum will be: The concerns - injuries and bone fatigue; the science and the statistics; the new education system for Endurance Officials; proposed changes to Endurance rules; and the Future: how to modernize and promote the sport.

Tuesday, May 02, 2017

Titanium, the three-day, FEI 3* Endurance race at Fort St. John, BC is the most northerly 3* endurance competition in the world. They have two events per year, one on the May long weekend, and the other on August long weekend.

For most riders it’s a two day trip to the ride camp at Doig River. Those coming from the east have a route over rich prairieland and forest. Past Slave Lake, they travel through the “Mighty Peace” country known for its diverse landscape of prairie, boreal forest and the Rocky Mountains. At Dunvegan Historical site, just before crossing the Peace River, there’s an accessible grassy area to graze your horse. After crossing the Peace River, elevations vary noticeably. The terrain opens up into foothills with spectacular vistas. The highways are wide and offer safe travel and even “flatlanders” can confidently manage the occasional steep slope.

Those coming from the south travel right through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The scenery here attracts people from all over the world. The terrain varies from desert to soaring mountains. There is a beautiful rest stop west of Pine Pass at Bijou Falls. Williams Lake and Prince George have rodeo grounds for safe overnight stays...